Acer used its next@acer briefing at IFA Berlin 2026 on September 2, 2026, to showcase Project DualPlay Mini, a Predator concept built around one stubborn idea: a Windows gaming handheld that can fold into a miniature laptop without adding a second machine to your bag.
Closed, Project DualPlay Mini bears an interesting resemblance to Acer’s Predator Atlas handhelds, doesn’t it? On the bottom of an 8-inch screen, between the analog sticks, a D-pad, and Xbox-style ABXY buttons, there are also a pair of triggers on each shoulder, as this arrangement is designed for console-style play and slower games that don’t require lightning-fast keyboard input.
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Flip the device on its back, and you’ll discover a backlit physical keyboard where the face used to be, with the screen springing into place above those keys, basically transforming it into a clamshell the size of an old netbook. With the display in place, speaker grills appear, and, oddly enough, laptop mode still feels like it requires a mouse for first-person shooters and MOBAs, as there is no mention of a touchpad in the design. Plug in a monitor, and you’ll have a little Windows PC sitting on a hotel desk.
Acer is planning a fairly easy separation between the two layouts. Stick and D-pad control is designated for genres that work well with the two, such as weekend gaming action. The keyboard mode, on the other hand, appears to be focused primarily at shooters, strategy games, and typical trip duties such as email, documents, as well as a few of online tabs. Utility, a dual-purpose gadget, is essentially their entire pitch. Play and do some light work with only one gadget, all from an 8-inch panel.
Now, the confirmed specifications don’t stray too far. According to Acer, DualPlay Mini is powered by an Intel CPU and features the same two fan system as the Predator Atlas 8: a single Predator AeroBlade fan with thinner blades than the smaller shipping model, as well as another plastic fan for good measure. Two USB-C ports are snuggled on the back, at least one of which supports Thunderbolt. The memory, storage, battery capacity, weight, and real chip name are yet to be confirmed, however. Journalists at IFA attempted to determine the hardware, but Acer has been tight-lipped about the model, which might be the Arc G3 or even a Panther Lake for all we know.
Project DualPlay Mini was displayed alongside Acer’s 7-inch Predator Atlas 7, which is currently under development. This beast features an Intel Arc G3 Extreme processor, a 120 Hz FHD display, and up to 24GB of LPDDR5X memory, with the option of increasing the battery capacity to 80 Wh. The Mini uses part of the same cooling technology, the Predator emblem, and the ‘Acer 50 since 1976’ logo milled into the back plate to mark the company’s 50th anniversary, and adds a foldable design that says “work done.” Of course, the real concern is whether the hinge on this thing will withstand a year of heavy use, as that is Acer’s call for now.
